Regain control method and apparatus



Sept. 6, 1955 E, c. GWALTNEY, JR 2,717,122

REGAIN CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l FIE-.1

|NVENTOR. Euszu: C. GWALTNEYJR.

WKW

Sept. 6, 1955 E. c. GWALTNEY, JR 2,

REGAIN CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE-.2.

INVENTOR. EUGENE C.GWALTNEY,J'R.

' WKW 2 Sept. 6, 1955 E. c. GWALTNEY, JR 2,717,122

REGAIN CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed July 26 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. EUGENE. C. GWALTNEYJR.

United States Patent Ofi ice 2,717,122 Patented Sept. 6, 1955 REGAIN CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS Eugene C. Gwaltney, In, Atlanta, Ga.

Application July 26, 1951, Serial No. 238,739

9 Claims. (Cl. 236-44) The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for the accurate measurement and control of the percentage of moisture content in textile materials, particularly adapted for commercial use for these purposes in textile mills and other plants processing and manufacturing textile fibers.

Hitherto, it has been customary in standard industrial humidifying systems to attempt to control the humidification of textile materials by controlling the percentage of relative humidity in the air present in the mill. However, this latter does not directly determine the moisture content or so-called regain of the textile materials, which is dependent not only on the relative humidity of the air, but on the temperature of the air, barometric pressure, ionization and other related variables. For example, maintaining 60% humidity in a mill while the temperature rises from 60 to 90 will not maintain 7% regain initially present in cotton yarn, but the regain will fall to something like 6 /2 or 6%. The cost of providing full air conditioning in mills by controlling these variables in an effort to maintain absolute regain control is so great as to be prohibitive in all but exceptional circumstances. Nevertheless, as is well known, since the strength and weight of textile fibers and the products made therefrom vary with the moisture content or regain, the desired quality of such products cannot be attained or maintained with certainty and correctly unless the moisture content is accurately controlled. Also, too little moisture in the fibers gives rise to many troubles in processing arising from the retention of static electrical charges.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a simple, practical and workable regain control for use in parts of the mill where the actual machines working the fibers or yarn are located, which will supply or withhold moisture to or from the textile material according to the cumulative effect of all these variables on the moisture content of the material, and not just to the percentage of relative humidity in the surrounding air.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a control of this sort which will also give a continuous accurate visual indication of the percentage of moisture content in the stock being run.

To these ends, the invention uses the known principle of governing the action of apparatus for humidifying the air through reference to a control sample of the identical stock which is being run. Prior apparatus employed this principle of using the fibrous material itself pendent from the end of a balance beam carrying a wire dipping into mercury to close an electric circuit whereby the humidification equipment was energized when a decrease in the moisture content of the fibrous material displaced the balance beam and closed the mercury contact. An example of this former apparatus is shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,602,213, dated October 5, 1926, to C. H. Robbins, where it was proposed for use in maintaining a predetermined degree of relative humidity in the air of a special sampling and testing cabinet, whereby all samples would be brought to a standardized degree of moisture content before testing. This structure had several distinct disadvantages. It was not adapted nor intended to control the humidity in the air about the machines working the fiber or yarns, and therefore had no effect on the fibers and yarns undergoing processing. It gave no continuous accurate indication of the regain present in the control sample. The equipment to be energized required so much current that the mercury contact sparked every time it made or broke the circuit, which in turn ate away the contact wire to an extent that gave the balance a false response, throwing out the regain control; also the floating or lift of the needle by the mercury gave too much lag and made the device unresponsive to significant changes in the moisture content of the stock being measured. In addition, mercury switches of this type fail and are generally unreliable for use in connection with accurate measuring equipment of this sort.

Another fault of the prior structure was that it was hunting all the time. Drafts or vibration either set off the humidifiers when they were not needed or turned them on and off until they wore themselves out. For these and other reasons the device was not adapted to control the regain in materials undergoing processing in a mill.

Thus a further aim of the invention is to provide an improved means of energizing the humidifiers, as the balance beam moves in response to changes in the moisture content of the controlling mass, that will remain accurate in mill use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device sensitive to the degree required to give accurate control of regain to within one-twentieth of 1% A further object of the invention is to provide means which will keep the apparatus free from disturbance by drafts commonly present in all mills.

An additional object of the invention is to devise a lightweight structure having a minimum of inertia which can be easily and economically produced and which also has the requisite rigidity for accurate operation under conditions of severe vibration and shock.

The present invention attains the foregoing aims by the method of installing its humidity regulating mechanism in the same location in the mill as the machines which are working on the textile materials, and controlling the relative humidity of the air surrounding such machines directly in accordance with the moisture content of the actual stock being processed, through reference to a control sample of the same kind of textile fiber that is being processed and exposed to the same atmospheric conditions as such stock.

To make the apparatus more reliable in its action, the balance beam or arm, which as in the patent mentioned is actuated by variations in weight of the sample due to changes in moisture content, carries or moves a contactor or indicator needle which makes contact with one or more solid metallic contacts of enduring nature in the needles path, and the circuits are arranged to respond to an extremely feeble current of instantaneous duration, to start or stop the humidifying means as needed.

To enable the device to give a continuous accurate visual indication of the regain present in the control sample and thus in the stock being run under the same conditions, the contacts in the indicator needles path are arranged to let the needle pass them immediately following contact therewith, so that the balance beams movement is checked only momentarily and the needle carried thereby indicates continuously on a scale adjacent its path the changes in weight of the control sample in terms of percentage of regain of this sample and thus of the stock. Herein, the passing of the contacts by the needle is effected by withdrawing them from the needles path momentarily following their engagement by the needle. This arrangement makes it possible to interpose the contacts in the needles path, not as mere wiping contacts, but as positive obstructions which stay there until the humidifier control devices act. By these provisions, the balance beam, through the needle thereon, becomes both an indicator of and an actuator governing the regain of the stock.

Other objects of the invention, and the manner of their attainment, are as set forth hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a preferred form and arrangement of the balance beamapparatus and its control sample of fibrous material pendent therefrom.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly diagrammatic, of me apparatus of Fig. l, and of the humidifying apparatus controlled thereby.

Fig. 3 is a detail, partly in vertical section, showing the retractable contacts and their actuating means.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the parts of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the scale.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing an alternative arrangement.

The invention in its preferred form comprises a balance beam, actuated by a control sample, and equipped with an indicator needle making connection with contacts in its path of movement in either direction to actuate a time delay relay which starts a motor driving cams actuating circuit-making and breaking switches to start or stop a humidifier Whenever the moisture content of the sample departs from predetermined limits in either direction.

To insure reliable making and breaking of the actuating circuits in response to the movements of the balance beam, I employ the novel means of placing a removable contact in the path of the indicator needle on the balance beam until the humidifier control acts, and such contact actuates a sensitive time delay relay which in turn starts the motor by closing its circuit for about 2 seconds, the motor itself mechanically closing a holding circuit which keeps the motor in action for about 30 seconds to revolve a shaft one-half turn and then time out, opening such circuit. This one-half revolution of the shaft, in addition to starting or stopping the humidifier, withdraws the contact from the path of the needle, letting the balance beam continue its movement along the scale to give an actual visual indication of the weight of the sample and thus indicate the exact regain present at that moment. The time delay relay responds to and holds the electrical impulse from the instantaneous contact of the needle or contactor with the removable contact long enough to get the motor going. Then the time cycle of the motor prevents a response by the humidifier to a second engagement of the contacts by the contactor needle while its circuit is closed, thereby aiding in providing a positive means for preventing hunting. The same one-half rotation of the shaft projects another contact into the path of the needle, but at a point in the path behind the advancing needle, and also behind and spaced from the first contact, to be ready to respond to a reverse movement of the balance beam. The contacts thus reciprocate.

In order to prevent the device from becoming too delicate to maintain the desired degree of accuracy I use a torsion balance in connection with a magnetic damper. The torsion balance will not bind or fall off its support, as the knife-edges used in devices of the prior art frequently did. The magnetic damper prevents the vibration of the building, drafts, or oscillations of the pendent textile material from swinging the scale beam and giving false impulses which turn on and off the humidifiers unnecessarily.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a balance beam 1 preferably made of aluminum or other non-magnetic sheet material is pivotally suspended on a flat torsion spring 3 (similar to watch m-ain spring) stretched between two supporting legs a mounted in a case or housing 2 and held apart yieldingly by an expanding coil spring 6 coiled on a rod 5 fixed to one leg by being threaded thereinto, and passing freely through the other leg, with a washer on its end and a pin 7 through the rod outside the washer. One leg 4 is hinged to its base, and a nut 8 varies the tension of spring 6 and thus of the torsion spring 3. The center gravity and resulting sensitiveness of the balance beam relative to torsion spring 3 is raised or lowered by raising or lowering adjustment nuts 9 and 11 on screws 13 and 14 fixed to the balance beam. As shown in Fig. 7, screws 13 and 14 are each made with long and short threaded portions, the latter and the intervening unthreaded section being then split and the short threaded extremities being bent outward at right angles. Torsion spring 3 is run through a hole in the narrow waist of balance beam 1, and nuts 10 are applied to the threaded meeting ends of screws 13 and 14 after the latter have been placed astride the waist of balance beam 1 from above and below. As torsion spring 3 extends between such meeting ends, it is gripped tightly when nuts 10 are tightened, thus fixing balance beam 1 thereon.

The control sample or moisture sensitive element herein is a sleeve or tube of cloth 15 composed of the same fibrous material as the stock being run, and is suspended by means of a suitable hanger 17 and wire frame 18 from a short rod 19 split at one end and wedged removably on one end of the balance beam. Exactness in the counterbalancing of the arm of balance beam 1 carrying the control sample 15 is provided for by means of adjustable counterpoise nuts 21 on a screw 23 attached at each end of a slot 22 cut in the balance beam. A combined indicator needle and contactor 25 attached to the other end of the balance beam by a screw 27 is positioned to read on a graduated scale 29 fixed to bracket 31 attached to a side-wall of case 2, and at the same time has capacity to contact one or the other of movable contacts 33 and 35 to actuate a time delay relay 100 and a motor 37 to rotate earns 61 and 63, mounted on its shaft 67, at the proper times.

A magnetic damper is supported by legs (preferably made of non-magnetic material) and consists of a pair of Alnico magnets 45 and 47 mounted in mutually divergent relation on one side of the balance arm the poles of which magnets face toward a magnetic shorting bar 46, Fig. 2, directly opposite and on the other side of the balance beam. The latter, being of aluminum or other light metal, is non-magnetic, and is so positioned as to cut the magnetic field of both magnets, thereby damping sudden swings of the balance beam due to vibration or other disturbances, but opposing no significant resistance to slow movement in response to its trend resulting from changes in regain in sample 15. When not in use the balance beam may be locked against movement by means of a sliding bolt 49 which is slotted at its proximate end to straddle rod 19 when slid across the vertical path of rod 19. Longitudinal and transverse levels 51 and 53 are provided for use in setting the apparatus level. In this embodiment the container 2 has one side the front in Fig. 1, made of transparent material to permit a reading of the calibrated scale 29.

In order to perform the function of controlling region, the contact of needle 25 with either of the movable contacts 33, 35, energizes a timing motor 37 which through appropriate gear reduction drives motor shaft 67 on which are fixed the two earns 63, 65, respectively serving to actuate contact makers 73, (actually microswitches 81, Fig. 3), one of which, 73, supplies current from v. A. C. mains a, b, to humidifier control valve 74 which in this embodiment comprises a model WBA valve operator such as shown in Bulletin F-174-2 of Barber-Colman Co., Rockford, 111., but may consist of any other conventional electrically-operated control valve capable of controlling the supply of air or water or both under pressure from a suitable source of supply through pipe 76 to humidifier 78, of any suitable or preferred form, acting to dispense water or water vapor into the surrounding atmosphere through its discharge port 80. The other contact maker 75 controls the actuation of motor 37, and is normally open, but when closed by its cam 65 serves to supply 110 v. current from mains a and b to motor 37.

Cam 65 is designed to close the motor-driving circuit supplying 110 v. from mains a, b, for one-half turn of shaft 67, and then open the circuit to arrest the motor. To this end, as shown in Fig. 4, this circular cam has two notches 68 diametrically opposite each other, so that contact maker 75 will spring into each notch in turn to open its circuit at the end of such half turn. Cam 63 has two-semicircular sections respectively of greater and lesser radius, with the rises 70 joining such sections out of line with, i. e., angularly displaced from, (herei in 90 from) the notches 68 in the motor-controlling cam 65 so that contact maker 73 will be on either the high or low portion of cam 63 when the motor and its shaft 67 are at rest. Thus when one notch 68 of motor actuating cam 65 is occupied by contact member 75, the circuit controlling the valve operator 74 is energized by the displacement of contactor 73 resting on the high portion of cam 63, and the humidifier 78 remains continuously in operation. But when motor 37 again is called into action to turn shaft 67 and cam 65 a half turn and then time out through the entry of contact member 75 into the other notch 68 of cam 63, contact maker 73 which has descended onto the low portion of cam 63 to open the circuit to valve operator 74 and thus shut oif the humidifier, remains in this relation with the humidifier inoperative. In brief, cam 65 runs the motor for a half turn and then times out, stopping the motor, and thus places the humidifier alternately and successively in operating and in idle relation.

The initial starting of motor 37 is effected, as indicated hereinbefore, by engagement of the combined indicator needle and contactor on the balance beam with one of the two movable contacts 33 and which are alternately placed in the needles path. But since this mutual contact is prone to be very light and inconstant owing to the tendency of the needle to recoil from its first engagement with the opposing movable contact, as well as under the effect of vibration, the needle is connected into an electrical circuit forming the input side of a sensive time delay relay 100 responding to a current on the order of one or two milli-amperes, through attachment of the supports 4, in electrical connection with needle 25, to one input terminal of time delay relay 100 via wire 105, the other input terminal of this circuit being attached by wire 107 to metallic guides 91, 93, in which the movable contacts 33, 35, are slidably mounted, this circuit being closed when the needle encounters either of the movable contacts in its path. Time delay relay 100, supplied with 110 v. actuating current through leads 109 from mains a, b, responds to the described momentary closing of the circuit through leads 105, 107, through engagement of needle 25 and either of moving contacts 33, 35, by creating a connection between leads 111 and 113, thereby starting the motor 37 and keeping it going for a time long enough to cause contact maker 75 to ride up out of its notch 68 in cam and onto the full-diameter portion of such cam. The time delay relay supplies a very weak current to leads 105, 107, insufficient to cause sparking at the needle 25, and when this current flows even momentarily the relays run the motor long enough, a matter of about 2 seconds, to cause cam 65 to take over the holding of the circuit supplying 110 v. current to the motor, and then times out, cam 65 having in the meantime taken over the maintenance of the supply of cur- 6 rent to the motor through holding contact member 75 closed. At the end of one half turn of shaft 67, cam 65 times out, de-energizing and thus stopping the mo- Lor, with the humidifier either on or off as the case may The time delay relay may be of any conventional design such as Fisher-Pierce Model 2224, listed under Part No. H48 in bulletin of Fisher-Pierce Co., Boston, Mass, dated November 19, 1946. By providing the motor with a solenoid brake, it can be made to stop at the same point each time, thus making easier the setting of the cams which can be varied manually as needed.

To enable the device to act as a constant and directreading visual indicator of the regain present in the control sample 15 and hence in the stock being worked, the movable contact 33 or 35 engaged by the needle is withdrawn to let the needle continue its movement along the scale 29. This is simply accomplished by fixing two eccentrics 7'7, 79, on motor shaft 67 180 apart, each having its point of greatest throw in an axial plane (with respect to shaft 67) passing through the two notches 68 in cam 65. The eccentrics are mounted in contact with each other (Fig. 3) and the proximate peripheral edges are rabbeted to receive encircling straps 82, 84, having integral extensions 86, 88, the extremity of each of which is pivotally attached at 90, 92, to slides 85, 87, respectively carrying the contacts 33, 35, and mounted for reciprocation in guides 91, 93, supported on a portion of motor mount 38, which holds motor 37, micro-switches 81, and associated parts on bracket 31 screwed to the side wall of case 2, this mount 38 also providing the foot bearing for shaft 67.

Control sample 15 is of exactly predetermined bonedry weight, herein preferably grains for convenience, and the balance beam 1 with sample 15 in place thereon is counter-balanced to stand exactly level when the exact amount of regain desired in the stock is present in the sample. Thus, in spinning rooms of cotton mills, where the preferred amount of regain is 7%, scale 29 will be calibrated in units representing percentages of regain present in the sample and stock, each 1% difference in regain corresponding to the addition or subtraction of one grain of water in the sample 15. The division of the scale corresponding to 7% regain is located under needle 25 when the balance beam is exactly level and in the relation of Fig. l. Movable contacts 33, 35, are respectively located just above and just below the level of the needle when the latter is in the position described, and are so disposed as to be projected through the space between the end of balance beam 1 and scale 29, so as to intercept the needle. Through the described arrangement of their eccentrics, one of these movable contacts is retracted out of the path of the needle when the other is extended into such path.

The parts are so related that when the humidifier 78 is off, and starting from the level relation described, contactor 35 below the needle will stand extended to be engaged by the descending needle as sample 15 loses moisture and correspondingly decreases in weight. When motor 37 is actuated through such contact with the needle, and turns its shaft 67 one half turn to start the humidifier, the same rotation of shaft 67 retracts movable contact 35 from in front of the descending needle and projects the other movable contact 33 behind (above) the needle. The balance beam 1 is thus permitted to continue its movement in exact accord with the changes in the regain present in the sample and in the stock and produced by the combined action of relative humidity, temperature, barometric pressure and all other variable factors present, and needle 25 gives at all times an accurate visual indication of such regain through its position on scale 29 graduated in percentages of regain.

With the humidifier thus continuing in action, and the moisture content of the surrounding air in the mill rising, sample 15 absorbs moisture from the air and becomes heavier, causing the balance beam to reverse its movement. As needle 25 rises accordingly, it eventually makes contact with movable contact 33, standing extended into its path, whereupon motor 37 is again actuated to rotate its shaft, cams, and eccentrics for one half turn, thus shutting off the humidifier and retracting movable contact 33 out of the way of needle 25, permitting balance beam 1 to continue its movement and needle 25 to indicate the exact amount of regain present in the sample and stock, which in this case is of course in excess of the optimum 7%. As the surrounding air dries out, and sample loses weight, the descent of needle brings it into eventual contact with movable contact which has been placed in its way as the other contact was retracted. Hence as the percentage of regain in the sample and in the stock falls, the humidifier is again called into action to correct the deficiency in the sample and in the stock, and this cycle of operations is repeated to maintain the percentage of regain within limits of r, of 1%, and in some cases within of 1%, above or below the optimum 7% regain. Thus in normal operation. contact 35 acts to start the humidifier, and 33 to stop the humidifier,.both of which actions are for convenience termed actuations of the humidifier.

It is the use of the two movable contacts 33, 35, and their spaced-apart relation in the path of the needle, which effectively prevent false actuation and hunting by this apparatus. It will be obvious that the farther apart these two contacts are located, the greater is the differential and the scope of incidental retrograde movement of the needle which will be permitted following one actuation of the device without calling the device into action again needlessly. Thus, a spacing of the contacts apart for a distance equalling that representing of 1% change in regain on scale 29 makes the apparatus unresponsive to an accidental reverse swing of the balance arm less in amplitude than this interval. The spaced relation also guards against the false actuation which would occur if the contact, either the alternative one, or the same one if only one were employed, reentered at the same point in the path before the slow-moving needle had moved out of range thereof.

Another safeguard against repeated and needless actuation as a result of vibration or other causes before the needle has moved a safe distance away from the contacts following engagement therewith, is that the gear reduction between motor 37 and its shaft 67 causes the motor to run for an interval of thirty or more seconds before timing out, and during this running period the apparatus is incapable of receiving or responding to a second impulse derived through either contact 33, 35.

To prevent the apparatus from accidentally functioning on the wrong half of its cycle and humidifying when too much humidity is present, or alternatively remaining inactive when the stock is too dry, I provide emergency contacts 101 and 103, Figs. 2 and 3, respectively mounted on and moving with the regular contacts 33, 35. For instance, if the humidifier has been running and has raised the regain as intended and the increasing weight of control sample 15 has carried needle 25 above the contacts after making engagement therewith to stop the humidifier, and then a jar or other accidental force should tip the balance beam reversely momentarily to cause a second engagement of the needle and the contacts, after motor 37 has timed out, this spurious actuation will reverse the cycle of the apparatus through operating the motor 37 and causing the humidifier to go into operation again, with the sample growing ever heavier and the needle going away from the contacts 33, 35. By providing emergency contacts 101, 103, each farther from its associated regular contact 33, 35, on which it is mounted than the normal oscillation of the needle when the device is working normally, but positioned to intercept the needle whenthe amount of imbalance of balance beam 1 becomes abnormal as in the cited instance, I pro- 8 vide for a third and correcting engagement of these emergency contacts with the needle, which energizes motor 37 a third time and thus puts the apparatus automatically back into step with the existing conditions of humidity nullifying such untimely response of the humidifier to a spurious engagement, and sets the apparatus back on the correct half of its cycle before any serious change in humidity has occurred.

To minimize disturbance by drafts, I provide a woven wire screen 115, Fig. 1, in the shape of a cylinder mounted on a bracket 117 on case 2 and provided with a suitable slot for free movement of arm 19. This screen permits the moisture in the air to reach the sample 15 freely, but substantially prevents undue vibration thereof by drafts.

The novel form of balance arm 1 is of especial importance, The relatively great vertical width resulting from making its ends in the form of sectors extending about the axis of gyration in spring 3 for a distance equalling the arc of total permitted swing of the beam, prevents substantially all bending in a vertical plane, and affords a wide target for the flux of magnets 45, 47, so that the beam cannot wholly escape from the damping action of the magnets. However, on the wider swings of the beam a proportionally smaller area will be subjected to magnetic lines of force and thereby the damping action will be proportionately less, permitting the beam to seek equilibrium more rapidly to correct accidental extreme swings. On the other hand, the easy flexing of the balance beam in a horizontal plane, coupled with the flexible nature of its support on torsion spring 3, permits its extremities to vibrateeasily horizontally on a small scale in response to the vibration of the building ever present in textile mills, thus increasing the sensitivity of the device through producing a rubbing contact of the needle back and forth along the movable contact element when engaged therewith, ensuring good electrical contact, this action being favored by the narrow waist formed in the beam. This vibration also overcomes any friction arising elsewhere. Also, the simplified form adopted greatly facilitates the production of the balance beam by a simple stamping operation from aluminum or other light metal in sheet form.

It will be understood that a plurality of regain control devices according to the invention are installed throughout the mill, each controlling a number of humidifiers in its vicinity independently of the other such control devices but all cooperating each through its 10- calized regulation of the humidity to vary the water content of the atmosphere in its vicinity so as to keep the percentage of regain in the fibers, yarns, or cloth at the predetermined uniform value throughout the entire controlled area, or at different desired values at different points, as may be needed.

The invention also contemplates the provision of dehumidifying apparatus for use in localities or under conditions where excessively humid weather prevails for greater or lesser periods. In such situations apparatus adapted to extract moisture from the air within the mill, of

known or any preferred design, is controlled by electric circuits suitably connected to the present regain control device so that such dryer runs in alternation with the humidifier. That is, when the circuits described hereinbefore are closed to start the humidifier, the dryer is shut off, and when the humidifier circuit is opened to stop the latter, the circuit governing the dryer is closed to start the dryer. Such alternate operation of the humidifier and dryer is easily effected by the provision in the power supply circuit of the dryer of a microswitch corresponding to 81 having its contact maker 130, Fig. 8, corresponding to 73 in Fig. 5, located to engage and be operated by cam 63 at a point from contact maker 73, thus controlling the actuation of dryer 132.

While I have illustrated and described a certain form in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but what I do claim is:

1. Apparatus for measuring and controlling the moisture content of textile materials, having in combination a balance beam carrying a sample of textile material, a pointer on the beam, a scale traversed by the pointer, contacts spaced apart along the scale, a humidifier starting and stopping in response to engagement of any one of the contacts by the pointer, and means withdrawing such contacts out of range of the pointer when engaged by the pointer.

2. In apparatus for measuring and controlling the moisture content of textile materials, in combination, movable balance means supporting a sample of the par ticular textile material in which the moisture content is to be controlled, a humidifier, a contact engaged by a part on the balance means and adapted to start and stop the humidifier alternately upon successive engagements, and time delay means preventing response by the humidifier to a second engagement of the contact by the balance means until after a predetermined period has elapsed.

3. In apparatus for measuring and controlling the moisture content of textile materials, in combination,

movable balance means supporting a sample of the particular textile material in which the moisture content is to be controlled, a humidifier, a contact engaged by a part on the balance means, an electric circuit completed by such engagement, and controlling the humidifier, an eccentric holding the contact in a position blocking the advance of the balance means in the direction bringing its part into engagement with such contact until this engagement completes the circuit, and an electric motor rotating the eccentric and thus removing the contact from the path of such engaging part to permit unimpeded continued movement thereof.

4. Apparatus for measuring and controlling the moisture content of textile materials, comprising in combination movable balance means supporting a sample of the particular textile material in which the moisture content is to be controlled, a humidifier, a motor, cams actuated by the motor, circuit makers actuated by the cams, and a contact engaged by a part on the balance means and actuating the motor to close the circuit makers and thus hold for a predetermined period the circuit established by the contact, one of such circuit makers controlling the humidifier.

5. Apparatus for measuring and controlling the moisture content of textile materials, comprising in combination, movable balance means having a contactor, a humidifier, a timing motor controlling the humidifier, a starting circuit and a holding circuit for the latter, a pair of movable contacts to be positioned in the path of the contactor on the balance means, relay means responsive to engagement between the contactor and the movable contacts for energizing the starting circuit, and a circuit maker actuated by the timing motor which disables the relay means and actuates the holding circuit for the timing motor until the other movable contact is placed in the path of the contactor on the balance means.

6. Apparatus for measuring and controlling the moisture content of textile materials, comprising in combination, movable balance means, a contactor thereon, a pair of moving contacts, additional contacts adjacent the moving contacts and moving therewith, and a humiditill fier alternately actuated and stopped by successive engagements of the contactor and any one of the moving or additional contacts, the additional contacts being located in the path of the contactor and at each side of the first pair of moving contacts and setting the humidifier back on the correct half of its cycle to nullify untimely response of the humidifier to a spurious engagement of the contactor and moving contacts.

7. Apparatus for controlling the moisture content of textile materials, having in combination balance means moving in accordance with humidity changes, a contactor thereon, a pair of moving contacts alternately positioned in the path of such contactor, a humidifier alternately started and stopped upon engagement of the contactor with either contact, and means acting upon engagement of either of such contacts by the contactor to prevent further response by the humidifier to a subsequent engagement of the latter parts until the balance means has responded to a change in humidity reversing the direction of movement of the contactor.

8. Apparatus for controlling the moisture content of textile materials, comprising in combination balance means carrying hygroscopic material and movable in accordance with humidity changes, a contactor thereon, a pair of contacts in the path of such contactor, and a humidifier actuated by engagement of the contactor with either of the contacts to increase the percentage of humidity in the surrounding air, the balance means responding to changes in the weight of the hygroscopic material by reversing the direction of movement of the contactor to engage the other contact and stop the humidifier.

9. Apparatus for measuring and controlling the moisture content of textile materials, comprising in combination, means for indicating variations in the moisture content of a sample of the particular material in which the moisture content is to be controlled including a balance beam on which is supported the sample textile materials and a contactor attached thereto, a pair of movable contacts alternately in the path of such contactor, a timing motor, a pair of cams driven thereby, a circuit maker governed by each cam, time delay means actuating the timing motor and set in action by engagement of the contactor and one of the movable contacts, and a humidifier controlled by one of the circuit makers, the other of which acts to keep the timing motor operating preventing any further control of the humidifier until the other movable contact is placed in the path of the contactor on the balance means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,385 Wigelsworth July 21, 1931 1,860,377 Anderson May 31, 1932 1,940,032 Ulrich Dec. 19, 1933 1,997,636 Gattoni Apr. 16, 1935 2,136,618 Hull Nov. 15, 1938 2,448,477 Wasko Aug. 31, 1948 2,602,589 Basinger July 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,159 Great Britain 1901 135,748 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1919 602,402 Great Britain May 26, 1948 

1. APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND CONTROLLING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF TEXTILE MATERIALS, HAVING IN COMBINATION A BALANCE BEAM CARRYING A SAMPLE OF TEXTILE MATERIAL, A POINTER ON THE BEAM, A SCALE TRAVERSED BY THE POINTER, CONTACTS SPACED APART ALONG THE SCALE, A HUMIDIFIER STARTING AND STOPPING IN RESPONSE TO ENGAGEMENT OF ANY ONE OF THE CONTACTS BY THE POINTER, AND MEANS WITHDRAWING SUCH CONTACTS OUT OF RANGE OF THE POINTER WHEN ENGAGED BY THE POINTER. 